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Fish and Chips for a Friday Treat!

June 12, 2015

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There is nothing more appealing than a delicious plate of fish and chips and as good as the ones taste that you can get at the seaside and at our fish and chips place that we like in Chester . . . nothing beats the Beer Battered Cod and Twice Fried Chips that you can make at home. A bit of a fiddle yes . . . but as a once in a blue moon treat, well worth the bother!

That crisp batter is so light and crispy and those chips . . . sigh . . . I like to keep the skin on my potatoes for even extra flavour and texture, but you can certainly peel it all off. It's your choice. I like to have ketchup and Tartar Sauce with mine, and I make my own tartar sauce. You must give it a go. It tastes so much better than any ready made sauce!

You might think of Fish and Chips as being quintessentially British, but surprisingly this favourite British dish dates back to the seventeenth century when Jewish immigrants from Spain and Portugal peddled battered fish cooked in huge cauldrons of hot oil as a street snack! So, it's really a part and parcel of the melting pot that is the modern Britain of today!

Fish has always been plentiful in the coastal areas of these beautiful Islands, and with the advent of trains in the mid nineteenth century, the North Sea profided plenty of delicious fish which could be easily transported to the inland city markets. Tasty and nutritious battered fish provided a delicious relief from the
monotony of the diets of many city folks and it wasn't long before
demand ushered in the advent of new shops all over the UK, offering crisp battered fish . . . adding chips to the menu as well, making for a tasty and substantial supper.

Wrapped together in newspaper also helped to keep the costs down. To this day you will find Fish and Chip shops all over the UK providing this delicious dish to appreciative customers. Although with the shortage of sustainable fresh Cod and the expense, other type of fish are gaining in popularity. I do hope you will give this version a go at home. It is a bit of trouble, but more than worth the effort taken for a once in a blue moon treat.

Mix all the ingredients for the tartar sauce in a bowl until well combined and set aside.

Heat the oven to 200*C/400*F. Cover a cookie sheet with paper towels and top with a wire rack.

Heat about 3" of oil to approximately 180*C/365*F in a medium sized pot.

Meanwhile,
mix flour with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Whisk in egg. Slowly add the beer
while whisking. Dip fish pieces in the batter and place on plate or the
wire rack you will be using to drain the fried fish. I usually double
dip in the batter if I have some left over once the batter dries on the
awaiting fish.

Place fish pieces, two at a time in the oil. Cook
until the fish is done and the crust is lightly golden, about 4 minutes
for 3/4-inch thick fillets. Remove fish with tongs and put on rack to
drain. Sprinkle salt over the hot fish and put on the baking sheet in
the oven to keep warm. Repeat in batches with the remaining fish. Serve
with the tartar sauce and homemade chips.

There
are two things you need for perfect chips. One a really good potato.
You want a nice floury one, such as a Maris Piper. You cannot make good
chips with new potatoes. Old ones are best. Second you want to start
with pure hard fat or dripping, preferably an animal fat. Third . . .
patience. Good chips require several cookings. The first is a quick
poaching in lightly salted water. . Let them cool and then fry for
about five minutes just until cooked through, then a final fry in hotter
fat to brown and finish cooking. See . . . patience.

200g floury potatoes per person (a scant half pound)

(use potatoes that are good for mashing)

a good solid fat to half fill your pan when melted
a frying thermometer

Peel
your potatoes and cut them into chips. Rinse them well in cold running
water and drain well. Put the cut potatoes into a pot of lightly
salted cold water. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat to a slow
simmer and cook for about 5 minutes, or just until they give slightly
with the prodding of a sharp knife. Drain well and then dry them on
kitchen paper towelling. Allow to cool completely and then place into
the fridge until well chilled.

When you are ready to fry
your chips heat your fat to 120*C/250*F. Add the chips in batches,
without crowding the pan. Blanch in the fat for 5 minutes, just until
cooked through. Remove, pat dry and drain on paper toweling. Once you
have blanched all the chips raise the temperature of the fat to
160*C/320*F. Fry the chips again until crisp and golden brown. Drain
well, season with some salt and serve immediately.

Note: I sometimes will make my own oven
chips to go with this, rather than frying chips. I just take some baking potatoes, washing and
cutting them into thick wedges. I toss the wedges with some olive oil
and salt and pepper and roast them in a very hot oven for about 30
minutes until they are crispy and browned all over. You can keep them
warm while you are frying the fish

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About Me

Marie Rayner

Canadian ex pat deliciously living and cooking in the UK. I cook and eat every day. I like to take pictures of it and then share it with you!

How I got Here

Welcome to my English Kitchen. I moved over here to England from Canada in the year 2000. Before I arrived, I was told that the cooking and food over here was awful, except for the Roast Beef and the Fish and Chips. I had no idea of what to expect, but it didn't sound good.
I landed at Heathrow with a bulging suitcase full of kitchen tools, handwritten recipes and a 4 litre can of Maple Syrup, totally prepared to be greeted with the worst.
I am happy to say that over the past 17 years I have discovered that most of what I had heard was totally and completelywrong!
Here in the UK we have some of the best poultry, meats, fishes, ingredients and produce in the world, and some of the most innovative chefs. I have learned so much about cooking in the past fifteen years, and I've enjoyed trying and experiencing many new things, thankfully most of them wonderfully delicious!
I love English food . . . both the traditional, and the wonderful blend that is modern British Cuisine . . . a delicious mixture of a variety of tastes and cultures.
I hope you'll come along with me as I explore all the wonderful tastes, sights and textures that England has to offer even the most discerning of palates.

Contact Me

If you have any questions or want to work with me, feel free to e-mail me at mariealicejoan@aol.com

Colour me Chuffed

Thank You

TWEET

Did You Know???

Make Your Own Self Raising Flour:You can make your own self raising flour by adding 1 1/2 tsp of baking powder and 1/4 tsp of salt to every cup of plain flour.

Make Your Own Baking Powder:You can make your own baking powder by combining 1 tablespoon of bicarbonate of soda with 2 tablespoons of cream of tartar. It's ideal for coeliac sufferers who can't find the gluten-free variety of this raising agent, but measure it out carefully because too much or too little can upset a recipe's balance.

Make Your Own Mixed Spice:You can easily make your own mixed spice: Combine 1 TBS ground cinnamon, 1 tsp each of ground coriander and nutmeg, 1/2 tsp of ground ginger, 1/4 tsp each of ground cloves and all spice. Mix well and store in an airtight container out of the light for up to 6 months.

Make Your Own Cajun Seasoning: Mix together 2 1/2 TBS of salt, 1 TBS dried oregano leaves (Rub to a powder using your fingertips), 1 TBS sweet paprika, 1 TBS cayenne pepper, and 1 TBS ground black pepper. Store in an airtight container out of the light for up to six months.Make Your Own Pumpkin Pie Spice: Mix together 1 TBS ground cinnamon, 2 tsp ground ginger, 1/2 tsp ground cloves, 1/2 tsp ground allspice, 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg and a pinch of ground mace or ground cardamom. Store in an airtight container out of the light for up to 6 months.